Vending-machine.



G. W. GOMBER.

VBNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 1, 191s.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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G. W. GOMBER.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I, 1913.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

G. W. GOMBER.

VENDING MA APPLICATION FILED N0V.1,191s. A

CHINE.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

ing cups.

' Y(incitar: W. Gonna, or coNYNGHVAin, PENNSYLVANIA.

VENDING-HACHINE.

Speeiileation of Letters Patent.

' Patented sept. 22, 1914.

Application led november 1, 1913. Serial 11 o. 798,748.

To all'wlwm it may concern:

Beit known that I, Gnoncn a citizen o f ,the United States, residing at Conyngham, in the county of Luzerne and 5 State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain ,new and fuseful Improvements in Vending Machines; and I do hereby declarethe followingjzo be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apperntainsto make and use the same. This invention relates toa vending machine, and more particularly to a com controlled machine for vending sanitary drink- Uneof the principal objects of the invention theprovision of a machine Aof the class described for vending either iianged or .rimmed cups or those which have plain 20 edges. It is .well known that a great ma- -jority ofthe drinking cup vending machines in use-.at the present time are adapted for use `only with cups having a beaded or rimmed edge, and the main object of the 25 invention is to provide a machine which will vend riinless cups, so that the cost ofthe manufacture of the cups may be materially lessened. The machine is also capable of vendingthe ordinary rimmed cups.

A further object of the invention 1s the provision of a device of the class described, which will be comparatively simple, durable, efficient and positive in operation, and. comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides 1n the construction, combination and arrangement of yparts hereinafter more fully described 49 and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of'which,

Figures 1 and 2 represent front elevational views of the vending apparat-us, showing the same in different stages in the delivery of a cup; Fig. 3 represents a slde elevational view of the coin device for controlling the operation of the vending apparatus. Fig. 4

represents a vertical sectional view on the line 4 4 of 1, and, Fig. represents a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the draw- ,55 ing, the machine casing comprises side walls 5, a rear wall 6, to which thevending apparatus is attached, a coin device being attached tothefrontwall 7 of the casing.

`The coin device as illustrated in Fig. -3 which represents a view looking from the right hand side of Figs. l and 2 toward the left hand side thereof, comprises a casing 8 having the front wall 9 secured to the front .wall 7 of the machine casing, a rear Wall 10 connected to wall 9 by a side wall 11, an arm 12 secured to Wall 11 and inclined rearwardly from front wall 7, and supporting at its upper end a pin 13 on which is swiveled by means of ears 14, a coin actuated detent, comprising a three sided coin box 15, forwardly of pin 13 and a detent 16 rearwardly of pin V13, and which is adapted to normally rest against a rearwardly projecting lug 17 on wall 10a counter weight 18 being pro` vided to keep said detent in normal engagement with said lug. The front portion of the coin box 15, is provided with a for` wardly extending tongue 19 which extends through a slot in a guide 20 secured at its upper end to front wall 7 of the machine casing, which slot extends about midway of said guide to the lower edge thereof, said guide being provided with sides 21 embrac ing the sides of the coin box. The latter is also provided at its forward edge with a downwardly extending finger 22 adapted to limit the downward movement of the coin box, upon a coin being deposited therein, in a manner to be hereinafter set forth. A shaft 23 is journaled at one end in front wall 9 of the device, and extends through the rear wall 1() thereof, and has secured to its rear end an angle iron 24 forming ya crank arm 25, and which has a portion thereof formed into an arm 26, adapted as shaft 23 is rotated, to contact with the lower end of the detent- 16, when the latter is in normal position, for limiting the further rotation of said shaft.

A crank shaft 27 is journaled in Walls 9 ,and -10 of the coin device, and extends Athrough the front wall ofthe machine casing and is provided with a handle 28 Whereby it may be turned, said shaft having loosely mounted thereon a pinion Wheel 29, on a sleeve 30, which sleeve is engaged by the leather .faced inner ends of spring clips 31, which are secured on opposite sides of the crank shaft 27 by means of screws or other vfastening means 32, the forward endsl of said spring clips beinOr bent inwardly resti q in notchesin thcrank shaft,.1t belngeili dent by this construction that should it be attempted to turn crank shaft 27 when pinion 29 which meshes with a larger pinion'33 secured on shaft 23, ceases to rotate by reason of the arm 26 contacting with detent 16, shaft 27 may turn against the friction caused by the clutch of spring clips 31 on sleeve 30, so that no strain will be imposed upon the parts of the device should it be attempted to turn the crank when shaft 23 is in locked position. A spring actuated pawl 34 pivoted intermediate its length as at 35 to rer wall 10 of the coin device has its upper end oii'set as at 36 to engage the teeth of the pinion 33 to prevent rearward rotation of the same, it being understood that the normal direction of rotation of crank 28 is from left to right or clockwise.

Assuming the parts of the coin device to be in initial position, that is with arm 26 in engagement with the lower end of the detent 16, it is evident that the parts are in locked position, but upon the drop of a coin into box 15 through the coin chute 37, the counter weight will be overbalanced and detent 16 will rise clear of thc arm 26, which is of a length to allow the same to pass beneath the lug 17, whereupon the crank 28 may be rotated for operating the vending mechanism later on to be described.v When the parts are in initial position, a pin 38 projecting from pinion 33 near the periphery thereof, is below finger 22, and when the coin is dropped in the box, said finger comes in contact with said pin, thereby stopping the downward movement of the coin box, and before the iioor thereof gets lower than the lower edge of guide 20, so that the coin is still retained in the box although the detent 16 is out of operative position, it being understood that as the crank 28 is Jr'urther rotated pin 38 will pass beyond finger 22 so that the box may be dropped below the guide whereby the coin may slide oif of the box into a suitable receptacle (not shown). By this construction it is evident that when a coin is dropped into the coin box, it will not be delivered from said box until arm 26 has passed beyond lug 17, so that there is no danger of a depositor losing his coin without the mechanism being put in operative position, since pin 38 remains in contact with finger-22 until arm 26 has passed beyond lug 17. On the outer end of crank arm 25, is secured pin 39 on which is pivoted the lower end 'of a link 40` said link being spaced from arm 25 by a collar 41 loosely positioned on the pin. A link 40 forms the connecting means between the coin device and the vending mechanism which will now be described. The vending mechanism is secured to the rear wall 6 of the casing, and at the initial position of the coin device the parts are 1n the position as illustrated in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 illustrating the position of the various parts Aat the completion of about one-fourth of the revolving of the shaft 23. lThe u per end of link 40 ispivotedtotl fowar ed oset end of a lug 42, which is secured to the upper -end of a vertical rod 43 guided through the horizontal portion of an up r guide-44 and a. lower guide 45, said 1 es comprising a body portion 46 secure to the rear wall of the casing, a horizontal portion through which the various rods are guided, anda` vertical portion 47 offset from the body portion 46 in spaced relation to the rear wall of the casing. A cross piece 48l is secured by suitable means 49 to rod 43 between the guides, and said cross piece travels up and down as the rod travels u and down, actuated by the connecting lin 40 between shaft 23 and rod 43. A pair of rods 50 are rotatably mounted in spaced relation in the guides and are adapted for rotation but not longitudinal movement, and are' held in place against longitudinal movement by means of upper pins 51 and lower pins 52,

which lower pins are connected by a retractile spring 53 which tends to normally hold the upper ends 54 of the rods 50, which are bent at right angles to said rods, toward each other, said -bent ends 54 having secured thereto a pair of plates 55 which extend toward each other, and have their inner edges recessed as at 56, the inner edges of which recesses normally bear against opposite guide rods 57, which are preferably four inV number and which guide the stack of inverted rimless cups 58, said guide rods being connected by a ring 59 which supports the same, and as illustrated in Fig. 1 the inner edges of plates 55, normally underlie the edge of the lower cup, for supporting the stock in position.

On the outside of each rod 50, is journaled in the guides a second pair of rods 60, one of which has its upper end bent to substantially underlie the bent end 54 of one of the-rods 50, and the bent end of said rod 60 supports plate 61 substantially underlying one plate 55, while the other rod 60 has its end bent outwardly as at 62 and fastened to a substantially reversed Z- shaped plate 63, comprising a lower horizontal step to which the outer end of bent end 62 is secured, and an upper horizontal step 64 which is' provided with a'slot c65, through which the upper ends of the grasping -jaws 66 extend, said jaws being formedv of a heavy wire each bent to form a horizontal portion supported rotatably against the under face of the lower step of the plate 63, by means of clips 67, the portion of the jaws below said horizontal portion extending downwardly as at 68 in divergingrelation, and having their extreme lower ends bent rearwardly at right angles. A wire spring 69 in the form of a loop has its ends secured in notches in the opposingv edges of the upright .portions whereby the .jaws

pr r are normally held closed` position I mmm Fig. 1.

tending upwardly therefrom,v is secured tongue 7G, which supports a substantial T- shaped actuating member 71, the lower end of which Iis provided with an opening 72 in which are secured the inner ends ofthe retraetile springs '73, the outer ends of which are each secured to the lug or pin 74 on one of rods60, .for normally 'holding the ends of said mods, @and consequently plates 61 and 63 toward each other. rThe upper step 64 of plate 63 is provided witha notch 75, which embraces one of the guide rods 57 below the adjacent plate 55, so that upper and lower sides of plates are provided which lembrace opposite guide rods,

the upper set normally holding the stack of .cups in position., and the lowerlset adapted to support the cups when the upper set of plates ,are disengaged from the stack in a manner to be described. The T-member 71 is positioned between the guide rods 57y and the back f6 of th'e casing, said rods being spaced from said back by a block, to which ring 59 is secured, andthe ends of the horizontal portion of the -'I member are bent forwardly slightly and beveled to form cam surfaces 75, adapted when cross piece 48V is raised incident to the turning of the shaft 23 into the position shown in Fig. 2, to conA tact with the upper outward bent portions 54 of rods 50 whereby plates 55 on which the stack of cups rest, are forced away from each other, whereupon the stack drops on to plate 61 and the upper step 64 of plate 63, it being noted that asl T-member `rises rods 60. rise with the member, because of the tension `of springs 73, and continue rising until the lower set of plates are in close relation to the upper set, the distance apart of the upper and lower set ofplates being less than the distance of the rim of the lowermost cup from that of the next higher cup,

at which time the upper movement of rodsl 60 is stopped by .means of pins 76, which are secured near the lower vends of said rods and which contact with the lower guide 45, the T-member however, continuing to move with the cross piece 48 and against the tension of spring 73 into the position shown in Fig. 2, for separating the upper set of plates, and allowing the cup to drop on the lower set of plates. In the meantime, the lower bent ends of the wire which form the jaws, are forced together by the action of cam surfaces 76 formed by beveling :a pair of spaced fingers 77 on a clip or arm 7S which is secured on cross piece 48, said cam` surfaces 76, contacting with the jaw members just before surfaces 75 contact with the bent ends of rods 50 so that vwhen the upper set of plates is separated, the jaws will be ;V the jaws are in n To 'the center ofthe cross piece 48,*and exi separated asfshown in F.' 2, whereby when the stack-drops muto theA ower set of plates, Ito grasp the edge of the lowermost cup. At this point @the crank arm '25 is .im vertical vposition fat the top of its path, and aas :it rcontinuos Eto turn .in the direction of the arrow in F 2, the crees piece 48 lis lowered and `with it the T- member, whereby #the upper set :oaf plates is allowed to come together in contact 'with'the stack by reason of `the spring 53 which 'connects the rods 5 0, seid plates barely Icontacting against the lowermost cup, and resting beneath the edge of the next .highest emp, andY as the @cross ,piece 48 continues to be lowered the jaws come vtogether by action of the loop spring 69, as the ea'm surfaces 76 leave the jaws, and in this position, the jaws engage the edge of the lowennost cup, and :draw it from the stack as the cross 1pieee 48 strikes `the pins 74 von rods 60, lowering said rods.

In order :to disengage the jaws lfrom the cup which -they grasp, a=stop member 79 .is pivoted lat its lower end as at 80 vto the up bent lower end of one of the guide .nods 57 said stop .member provided with a :lug A81 which ,is in the path of the cup ws the same is lowered, and against which the e@ of the cup strikes, the jaws in the meantime continuing their movement downwardly, as therods 60 are lowered, until they slip ofl' of the edge of the cu-p whereupon a pin 82 which is secured on plate 63, and which works ,up and `down in a slot in stop member 79, is swung outwardly or away from the guide rods 57 as the rods 60 are turned or swung in opposite direction away from said guide rods by reason of the pins 74 coming in contact with beveled edges on a pair of clips 83 secured in adjusted positlon by means of screws to the lowermost guide 45, said pin 82 as it swings outwardly swings stop member 79 on its pivot and hence disengages lug 81 from the rim of the cup so that the same is free to drop into a receptacle or container (not shown) from which the cup may be grasped by the operator of the machine. After the cup has been disengaged a continual turn of shaft 23 for a short distance will bring the mechanism back lto the initial position shown in Fig. 1, the detent 16 in the meantime having dropped into normal position into the path of the arm 26 as shown.

In order to steady the movement of the mechanism, a retractile spring 84 is secured at one end to one of the side Walls 5 of the machine casing and at the other end to the sleeve 41 or arm pin 39 (see Fig. 3), and the link 40 is guided in a slot formed in an angle iron 85 secured to the side wall.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention I may desire to make such changes in the construction,

combination and 'arrangement of' parts thereof, as do not-depart from the spirit ofi the invention, and the scope ofthe appended claims'a f Havin thus fully described my invention a Ipainof plates for supporting a stack o desire toI secureby receptacles, means forfmoving said plates position, means for supout'v of supportin 1% subsequently tothe mov# orting said stac ing of said lates out of'supporting position,-

andjawsa a ted vto asp 'said receptacles and separate t e same indlvidually from the stack, said plates adaptedy to be moved into supporting positionpre'vi'ously to separation of said receptacles from'the'stack.-

2.- VIn a machine fory vending receptacles, a plurality of Arods foriding a stack of the receptacles-- a pair 1o upper plates normal ing' 'said upper plates -out of supporting position, apainoflower plates adapted to sup- -nport the stack' when saidupper plates are moved outof'supponting position, a pair of jaW-sadaptedto grasp the'lowermost of said stack When-said'upp'er plates are moved out of. supporting position,- means` for moving ,l

y supporting said stack, means for mov-A 3. Ina mac ine `of the class described,- means, for guiding a stack 'of rece tacles,- stack,"

means :for normal supporting sai means for allowing the receptacles to become' individually unsupported, movable'f jaws for disengagin'g said receptacles from the stack as they become separately unsupported, and means for y'engaging sald receptacles asv they are removed from the stack by said jaws, said engaging means adapted to hold saidreceptacle' while said jaws'are moved outofengagement therewith, and

means'for subsequently 'moving said engaging meansl vaway from said receptacles for freeing the flatter.: v v n In testimony whereof. I have signed my name to this specification 'inthcpresence of two subscribing witnesses. A l

y -GEORGE W. GOMBER.

Witnesses: y l

-HULDA GOMBER,

GETHA GoMER. 

